Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for filling a hydrogen tank.
The invention relates more particularly to a method for filling a pressurized gaseous hydrogen tank from at least one source store containing a pressurized gaseous hydrogen at a determined first temperature and at a determined pressure higher than the pressure in the tank that is to be filled, in which method hydrogen is transferred from the source store to the tank by the equalizing of pressure via a filling circuit having an upstream end connected to the source store and a downstream end connected to the tank, and in which the at least one source store is in a heat exchange relationship with a member for heating up the gas stored in the source store.
Related Art
The filling of fuel tanks with gaseous hydrogen is generally performed via one and preferably several equalizings of pressure between one or more source stores and the tank that is to be filled. One well known solution uses several source stores coupled in parallel which are used in succession to maximize the pressure differences between the source and the tank that is to be filled (what is known as “cascade” filling).
A compressor may also be provided, as a top-up, to supplement or complete the filling if necessary.
There are a number of known techniques for optimizing the quantity of gas transferred in the given filling time.
Thus, it is known practice to control the flow rate of gas transferred in order to minimize the heating-up that occurs in the tank filled. By reducing the gas transfer flow rate the risks of excessive heating-up in the tank are limited but the filling time is lengthened.
Another known solution is to cool the gas before it enters the tank so as to minimize/control the rise in temperature in the tank. However, this solution may require significant energy resources. Document EP2175187A2 describes a filling system in which the temperature of the gas is controlled (lowered) before it enters the tank.
Document WO2011026551A1 itself describes a filling system in which the temperature of the source stores is maintained at a determined low level.